


Invitation

by SevenCorvus



Series: Bond/Mallory, d/s [2]
Category: James Bond (Movies), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Dom/sub, Established Relationship, F/M, Kink Meme, M/M, One Shot, Prompt Fic, Sequel, Slash, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-28
Updated: 2013-03-28
Packaged: 2017-12-06 18:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/738602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenCorvus/pseuds/SevenCorvus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James had never really celebrated the holidays, not since his parents had died anyway. After that, there seemed to be little in the world to celebrate, and no one to do it with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Invitation

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to [Wonder](http://archiveofourown.org/works/569075). Written for this [prompt](http://bondkink.livejournal.com/816.html?thread=357680#t509488). Frankie, thank you for taking a look at this. Feedback is love and will be rewarded with cookies (and smut).

James had never really celebrated the holidays, not since his parents had died anyway. After that, there seemed to be little in the world to celebrate, and no one to do it with. He liked to think that if Vesper had lived, that they could have celebrated together, could have formed their own family, but he wasn’t truly that naive. 

For as much as he had loved her, he realized that he could never leave MI6, not permanently; being an agent was too ingrained in him, in who he was. And as much as she had claimed to love him, he doubted that she could ever have understood that, could ever accept his true nature. While he could have forgiven her for her secrets, her deception, James had been betrayed too many times to commit to someone that he could not fully trust. He mourned her death, regretted that he was unable to save her, but accepted that the relationship likely wouldn’t have lasted even if he had.

Vesper was his last shot in some ways, his last chance at a normal relationship, a normal life. After her death, he threw himself into his work, into relationships that were never more than physical, fleeting connections that did not truly satisfy his need for human companionship. It was enough though; it had to be enough, because he could not let someone close to him like that again, could not suffer another loss. 

Yet he did. For without his conscious permission he had become attached to M, despite having never acknowledged her as anything more than a boss and occasional verbal sparring partner. Her loss grieved some part of him that was not quite as impenetrable as he hoped. And suddenly he had a new M to deal with.

He was skeptical of Mallory at first, seeing only another bureaucrat he would have to deal with, but he was impressed with his background and the way he handled himself when Silva attacked, and quickly grew to respect the other man. James had never trusted the previous M, not completely. He had broken into her home so that she would know that he knew where she lived, what her real name was. He had wanted to equalize the power difference between them. Yet, he never worried about that with Mallory, never worried that the man would use his power against him. 

While he did not hesitate to seek the man out at work, James had never gone to his home. That did not mean he did not wish to be invited there, but surely Mallory did not want him there, did not want to deal with him away from work. It was one thing for the older man to tolerate James’ presence in his office, to let him give up control and feel like he belonged to someone else, with someone else, at least for a moment. It would be quite another for Mallory to invite him into his personal life, to make this something more than a director humoring his best agent. 

James had no illusions about his worth. He might have been damn good at what he did, but he wasn’t likely to be wanted for more. He knew to count his blessings as they were. And if a part of him desperately wanted the other man’s approval, or yearned to sit quietly at his feet and soak up that calm presence; well he could live without, he had done so for this long after all. 

He never expected to come back to headquarters after a mission, to find a present waiting for him wrapped in Christmas paper, a black wristband inside made of soft leather, and a key with an address attached. James did not need an engraved invitation to know who it must be from, and what it must mean, or at least what he so hoped it meant. He ran his thumb across the leather, admiring the texture, wondering for a moment what it would feel like to wear that under his suits, to have a part of his Sir with him at all times. Grasping the key in his hand tightly, James set off, determined to see if he might not be more welcome than he could ever have dared to dream.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it took so long to finish this, I meant to have it done in December, hence the Christmas!fic. Next part should hopefully be up much quicker, and will likely switch back to Mallory's pov.


End file.
